An undermanned GIANTS team put in a gutsy performance against a vastly more experienced Fremantle at Patersons Stadium in Perth.
Despite missing many of their senior players and young stars, the GIANTS battled bravely, eventually going down by 95 points.
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The GIANTS fielded one of their least experienced team this year with 17 first year players, 10 teenagers, 16 players who are 21 years old or younger and 13 players who have played ten games or less.
Defender Luke Power added some maturity to the young GIANTS, without whom the average age of the squad was 20.8 with 14.8 average games.
After trailing by 59 points at half time, the young guns came out firing in the third quarter, with two of their four goals coming from AFL debutants Sam Frost and Gerald Ugle.
With a never-say die attitude, the GIANTS managed to boot five goals in the second half.
The GIANTS proved that the club has a lot to look forward to with NAB AFL Rising Star nominees Toby Greene and Tom Bugg tallying 29 and 27 disposals respectively and former NSW ACT RAM Anthony Miles also finishing the day with 27 touches.
GIANTS head coach Kevin Sheedy said that the clash was an invaluable experience for the multitude of first, second and third game players who lined up for the squad in Perth.
“We took a gamble today playing seven boys that had played three games or less and the boys that have just come in to the side kicked four of our five goals,” Sheedy said.
“Some teams in the eight might play a couple of new players but we might play seven.
“These guys have basically just left year 12 and for them to get a taste of the game, the pace and physicality of it… is great.
“Most of those seven young guys had stats that lifted in the second half and I think that’s because they’d had an hour of experience out there. That’s quite amazing, what happens when you’ve got an hour of game time under your belt.
“That will be an enormous experience for someone like Sam Frost who played key back, key forward and ruck,” he said.
Click here to view the photos from the match
FREMANTLE 6.1 8.14 14.18 18.24 (132)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 0.2 0.3 4.5 5.7 (37)
GOALS
Fremantle: Pavlich 7, Walters 2, Pearce 2, Hill 2, Crowley, Johnson, Ballantyne, Clarke, Bradley
Greater Western Sydney: Bruce, Frost, Hoskin-Elliot, Ugle, Treloar
BEST
Fremantle: Pavlich, Hill, McPharlin, Johnson, Pearce
Greater Western Sydney: Greene, Palmer, Bruce, Bugg, Treloar
INJURIES
Fremantle: TBA
Greater Western Sydney: TBA
SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Cameron Sutcliffe replaced David Mundy in the third quarter
Greater Western Sydney: Jacob Townsend replaced Kurt Aylett in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Fleer, Farmer, Ritchie
Official crowd: 28,767 at Patersons Stadium
